Pancreatic metastasis from skin melanoma diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound fine needle aspiration

Malignant melanoma is reported to metastasize to all organs of the human body. Although pancreatic metastases are rare, they range from 2% to 5% of pancreatic malignancies. Differentiating a primary pancreatic malignancy from a metastasis can be difficult due to similarities on imaging findings, but it is crucial to ensure proper treatment. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with fine needle aspiration (FNA) is often needed to provide a cytologic diagnosis. We present a case of a 48-year-old man who had 4 years later surgical treatment for a skin melanoma located in the right axillary region. Abdominal computed tomography showed two round masses in the body of the pancreas. He was referred to our Clinic for EUS-FNA. EUS-FNA was performed with a 22G Pro-Core(®) Needle (Cook Medical Inc., Limerick, Ireland) and cytology material was obtained after three needle passes. The slides and cell-block were stained and analyzed by cytopathologists, showing pancreatic metastases of malignant melanoma.